North Inlet-Winyah Bay Estuary

The recent tropical storm brought us rain, rain, rain! Rivers must have filled this past weekend. The Winyah Bay watershed is about 18,000 square miles, fed by four major rivers that drain into it. Most of the flow is from the Pee Dee-Yadkin river system, beginning in the Blue Ridge Mountains and streaming through the Piedmont to the sea.

In Georgetown County, SC, between Myrtle Beach and Charleston, the water flows into the North Inlet-Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. The satellite map view of this at left, with its blue and green colors, makes it easy to see how the rivers, salt marshes, and tidal creeks come together. The North Inlet-Winyah Bay Reserve boundary is encircled by a yellow line. This Reserve actually combines two estuaries: the North Inlet and the Winyah Bay estuary.

North Inlet, a barrier beach estuary, is washed by the tides, and about half of its water returns to the ocean twice a day. Most of its watershed is in its natural forested state. Winyah Bay is a salt wedge estuary, as heavier salt water moves up-estuary along the bottom with the flooding tide, with fresh water on top flowing toward the ocean.

The brackish waters and marshes provide habitat to many threatened and endangered species, including sea turtles, sturgeons, least terns and wood storks. Pumpkinseed Island is an important rookery for white ibis, great and snowy egrets, and herons. The USC Baruch Marine Field Laboratory conducts research at this Reserve, which also offers a link to a Discovery Kit, describing an estuarine environment using an interactive tutorial.

The North Inlet-Winyah Bay NERR offers interesting public programs and activities. How about a free boat tour? On its Appreciation Day, Saturday, November 1st, you can explore the Winyah Bay Estuary aboard the SCDNR Education Vessel Discovery. Learn about the biology of plants and animals that live there, and see animals collected in the trawls. This guided tour is free, but space is limited, so call quickly to register for it; (843) 546-6219.